I'm in need of some urgent advice. I've moved to China about 2.5 months ago to teach English and I am enjoying the experience, however the city I'm in is a nightmare. It's called Shijiazhuang and the pollution levels are outrageous and is yet to get at its worst. It is.considered the 3rd highest polluted city in China. The pollution has already begun to affect my health due to my history with asthma and I feel its going to severely worsen in the upcoming months.

I've requested for a relocation to another centre in a different area where the pollution levels are not as intense. I've been told from my centre that a transfer is not possible, due to my working Visa only been registered in Shijiazhuang. My options are that I continue to work at the centre or leave China. If I decide to leave China, I'll have to wait atleast a month or two for the centre to cancel my Visa with authorities and so forth.

My question is, what's stopping me from just leaving China in the upcoming days without giving the centre warning? Yes, fair enough, it is unprofessional and I may not get a reference letter from the centre and may not be able to put them as a reference on my resume. But is it worth staying in this miserable place for another 2 months, knowing full well that my health is going to be severely affected? I know for sure, that I'll be able to apply for vacancies in other countries, when I go back home, but I just don't know what to do.

I can see this is a tough one. You need to check whether what your employer is saying is true. Do you have to stay in that city if it's affecting your health? ditto for staying a month or two. The Chinese authorities or the consulate of your country should be able to answer this. Can you produce a document showing that you suffer from asthma?

If what they are saying is true, you need to decide how badly your health is or will be and weigh that up against getting a bad reference.

If you can get a release letter from your present employer and have the interest, have you considered moving closer to the south? I, an American, and my Chinese wife own a new, small language school in Ma'anshan City, Anhui province. It's a 20-minute rail ride from Nanjing. We have blue skies and starry nights most of the year. It's also more humid as it's on the Yangtze, which may perhaps be better for respiration. Feel free to send me an e-mail if you are interested. A visa transfer could be quick if they are willing to give you the release letter. e-mail: james.flieder@jamesenglishlanguageschool.com